England will express its fraternity with France this weekend in another visible way.
The Premier League announced on its website Thursday the French national anthem will be played before all 10 of this weekend’s games in commemoration of last week’s Paris attacks.
“Given how close we are as well as the long-standing relationship that exists between the Premier League and France, playing ‘La Marseillaise’ as an act of solidarity and remembrance is the right thing to do,” Premier League CEO Richard Scudamore said in a statement. “We were all saddened and deeply shocked by the events in Paris last Friday, and the fact it was an attack on people enjoying their everyday freedoms like going to a bar, a concert or a football match resonates with football fans and the general public throughout the UK.”
France is the second-most represented country (behind England) among Premier League players, as 72 Frenchmen currently ply their trades in England’s top flight.
The Football Association, English soccer’s governing body, kicked off the tributes to the victims of the Paris attacks Tuesday at Wembley Stadium with a moving ceremony before England’s 2-0 win over France.
The Premier League will follow suit, as Europe continues to heal from the Paris attacks.
Thumbnail photo via Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press
